


The Best Wingman

by NaClFairy



Category: Black Star -Theater Starless- (Video Game)
Genre: Dogs, F/M, Fluff, Stress Relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24673825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaClFairy/pseuds/NaClFairy
Summary: After numerous bad days, Saki is stressed and in need of some cheering up. Maybe some time at the park with a friendly doberman and his wild human can fix that.
Relationships: Ran (BSTS) / Kazami Saki
Kudos: 6





	The Best Wingman

One bad day every once in a while wasn’t hard to handle, but five in a row was really pushing it. Saki could feel the stress and fatigue weigh her down. Her neck and shoulders were stiff, her eyes were constantly itchy, and her head was aching with what she knew for a fact would turn into a migraine later.

Maybe she wouldn’t go to Starless today. The lights and sound would only aggravate her symptoms, and on top of that she didn’t want to make anyone worried.

To fight the humidity, Saki went over to a vending machine to buy juice, taking small sips as she walked down the street. 

It was unusually quiet today and far fewer people could be seen walking down the street. This, she appreciated greatly since Saki didn’t think there was any more energy left in her to deal with people. Well...at least for the rest of the week.

As she continued down the street at a leisurely pace, the bright display window of a bakery caught her eye. 

Although it was small, likely a family business, this particular bakery was well known and their doughnuts in particular were always sold out by the end of the day.

Deliciously tempting sweets called her name from inside the store, causing her mouth to water a little at the thought; it didn’t help that she was in desperate need of a pick-me-up and some sugar. The juice just didn’t suffice. 

“...mmm...maybe I shouldn’t…”

But the fact that they still had doughnuts left to sell at this part of the day had to be a sign, right? Normally, Saki was never able to buy these unless she came to the store early to beat the rush. This had to be a sign her luck was changing.

A gust of wind carrying that sweet, sugary scent had her mind made up. Saki hurried into the shop, buying herself a box of 6 doughnuts, each one a different flavor. Then she walked towards the park

Was it strange she wanted to eat all six of them in one sitting by herself? Maybe, but at this point did it even matter? Stress, fatigue, and the over all dark cloud floating above her head had taken away her energy to give a crap.

Her footsteps were quick, but heavy, as Saki walked to the park and found a place to sit and enjoy her sweet treats. She picked a deep fried doughnut that was coated in sugar on its crispy exterior. The first bite felt like absolute heaven. As did the second, and third, and so on.

Just as Saki was about to finish the last bite, a black and brown dog dashed past her spot on the bench.

Her eyes followed the dog, a doberman, as it chased a bright yellow disk flying through the air. It made a final mad dash for the disk, leaping up into the air and catching it in its mouth while doing a flip.

“Good boy, Sabu! Awesome catch!!”

Far to her right came a voice that Saki recognized immediately. The pitch, the tone, even the accent; there was no one else she knew who spoke like that.

In response to the voice, the dog, Sabu, turned around and ran straight into the arms of a young man with blue hair and a gaudy jacket covered in white tiger decals. 

Sabu dropped the disk on the ground, his short tail wagging madly in anticipation of the next throw from Ran.

Saki watched as Ran pet the dog and showered him with praise. She even saw him boop the dog on the nose, something so cute it made her laugh and then sputter when she almost choked on the piece of doughnut.

The sound caught both Ran and his dog’s attention, and Saki froze like a deer caught in the headlight/ Ran looked at her, surprised to see someone he knew here. And out of everyone, it was his dearest Nee-chan too! 

“Nee-chan, hi!” Ran- carrying a bag of what appeared to be dog togs- made a beeline for Saki’s bench with Sabu following close behind. “Whatcha’ doing here, Nee-chan? I’ve never seen you here before.” 

He faked a shocked expression and gasped.

“Could it be? You came here to spend time with me?”

Already he was working his boyish charm, and Ran’s good mood seemed to spill over, gradually pulling Saki. She supposed it was his enthusiasm that made everything look so much more enjoyable and less like a bother.

“Hmm...not really, but let's say I did. Even if it’s just a coincidence, I’m still glad to see you, Ran. Is this cutie here, your dog?”

She tipped the empty can of juice in the direction of the panting pup at Ran’s heels.

The young woman thought Ran was excitable before, but the animated way he spoke and acted after they moved to the topic of his dog was in a league of its own. His magenta eyes lit up and Ran’s smile was brighter than Saki thought possible.

“Yeah, this is Sabu! Say hi to Nee-chan, Sabu!”

“Woof!”

“He’s my best friend and we grew up together!”

Ran tossed a treat to Sabu and then pat him on the head before going into a retelling of his beloved doberman’s story. Each time he addressed the dog, it would respond with some sort of noise, be it a bark, a grumbling, a whine, or a huff. Although Saki has no idea what each one meant, Ran certainly did.

It was absolutely adorable how animated he was talking about Sabu and his breed, his personality, odd little habits, and every detail that made him so special to Ran. The amount of in-depth knowledge Ran mastered for the sake of his dear friend was beyond any normal dog owner’s.

“And Sabu’s got a ton of energy, so we go to the parks a lot to burn it off. That’s actually why we’re here today.”

“Aha, that must be nice having a companion to go with, huh?” Saki said and watched as Ran poured water into a plastic bowl that Sabu immediately drank up. 

Saki didn’t even care when some of the slobber and spit splashed from Sabu’s fast drinking onto the leg of her pants. What could she say? She loved animals, dogs especially. They had a certain charm that couldn’t be beat. “I’m guessing you two spend a lot of time together?”

“Kinda,” Ran scratched Sabu behind his pointed ears. “I don’t have as much time anymore because I gotta go to Starless, but that just makes me look forward to playing with him even more!”

Sabu barked in agreement and pawed at the performer’s leg. At times his pointed nose would poke at the bag of supplies Ran was carrying and the doberman would let out a tiny whine.

“What’s wrong? Are you bored?”

He whined again and poked Ran with his nose, giving him sad puppy eyes.

“I get it, you wanna play with that new toy from last week, don’t you? Okay, let’s go!” 

How he got all of that from a simple whine was a mystery; the best Saki could do was chalk it up to the close bond they had from many years of companionship. 

Ran was about to run off with Sabu, but stopped himself and turned around to look at Saki. “Hey Nee-chan, since you’re here, do you wanna play with Sabu? I promise it’s a lot of fun, you’ll love him!”

“Er…..” Since she wasn’t sure exactly Sabu wanted to play, Saki hesitated. But the dog then directed its puppy eye stare at her, and she couldn’t say no. “Sure, if you show me what he likes to do.”

Ran cheered and took Saki’s hand, leading her away to an open grassy space. He showed her the bag he was carrying filled with things like bowls, treats, and so many different dog toys. Saki noticed tug ropes, fake bones, a plushie, frisbees, balls, even a squeaky toy that looked like a squirrel?  She picked a neon colored ball from the bag.

When she held it out, Sabu’s stumpy tail wagged and he prodded her hand with his nose, urging the woman to throw it. And she did.

Not even a second later, Sabu took off after it. His slim build, mad for speed quickly shrank in the horizon and he chased the ball.

“Amazing, he’s so fast…”

“Yup, that’s Sabu for you! Dobermans are made for that kind of stuff. He’s also good at guarding because that’s what his breed was for a long time ago.”

Perhaps because he was an intelligent dog, Sabu could tell that his human liked the woman very much and came back to drop the ball in front of her rather than Ran. He knew Ran had invited her to be his playmate, and was eager to please this nice lady who picked one of his favorite toys.

They continued this game of fetch, Saki throwing the ball as hard as she could to vent her frustration and Sabu speeding off to return it. In a way it was therapeutic and she felt the dull ache in her head gradually fade.

She didn’t know how long they kept up this game. By the time the sun had set beneath the horizon, she was tired, out of breathe, but so much happier than when she first came to this park.

“He sure has a lot of energy! I feel like my arm’s gotten stronger just throwing the ball for him fo many times.” Saki said as she sat back down on the bench, fanning her face with her hand. “I’m amazed you can keep up with him, Ran. I’m already tired after just a little bit.”

“I can never get tired of hanging out with Sabu.”

Ran threw himself down on the bench next to her; Sabu quickly joined him. He squeezed himself into the space between Saki and Ran’s legs on the ground, panting and with a happy look on his face.

“Ran...tha-”

Growling from Ran’s stomach stopped her short. The performer just laughed it off while she looked at him in surprise.

“Sorry Nee-chan, playing with Sabu takes a lot. I should’ve got something to eat, but I kinda forgot.”

Because he’d gone straight to Sabu after finishing the day’s errands, Ran completely forgot all about his own needs and hunger in his excitement. The bag he brought along only contained supplies for his dog.

While Saki found it sweet he cared for Sabu so much, it worried her that Ran might neglect taking care of himself. 

Ran’s stomach continued to growl, reminding Saki of the doughnuts she’d bought earlier to cheer herself up. Although they were far from a nutritional balanced meal, she didn’t want the performer to starve.

“Hey Ran, I have some doughnuts here if you’d like.”

“Really?!” He asked, reminding her of an excited puppy.

“They’re the last picks from the bakery, so it might be a little bit stale. If you don’t mind, then go ahead.”

She opened a striped box to reveal 5 doughnuts of varying flavors: chocolate, vanilla icing with candy sprinkles, powdered sugar, glazed, and even a purple one that she suspected had taro flavoring.

“I already ate earlier, so don’t worry about me. You can have as many as you like. Please, don’t hold back.”

Ran looked at Saki, then the box. His eyes were wide and sparkling in a way that reminded Saki of a kid in a candy store.

“Thanks, Nee-chan!!! Don’t mind if I do!” 

If smiles could provide light, the now dark park would’ve lit up like daytime. Ran picked up a custard cream filled doughnut drizzled with a generous amount of chocolate and took a big bite. He was quiet for a moment, savory the taste before loudly thanking Saki and chowing down the rest.

“It’s delicious! Can I have another?”

Saki nodded and nudged the box his way; she was happy to see Ran enjoying the sweets she’d bought earlier on a stress fueled impulse. Realistically, she wouldn’t have been able to eat all of them by herself anyway, and it would’ve been a horrible waste to let them spoil.

Sabu stared up at Saki from his spot on the ground. His big brown eyes connected with hers and the dog started to whine, throwing himself just the tiniest pity part in hopes she'd give him some love, too.

“Huh? A-are you hungry?” 

She didn't know what the sound meant.

“Nah,” Ran answered for her in between bites of the third doughnut. “Sabu’s just bored. And she’s kinda sad the pretty Nee-chan isn’t playing with him anymore.”

Another bark came from Sabu, presumably in agreement. The dog looked at her expectantly, titling his head in an innocent manner and giving her a gentle nudge with his nose.

“Aww, I’m sorry Sabu.” To apologize, she gave him gentle pats on the head and lightly scratched the spot behind his ears. In return, Sabu licked her hand and rubbed his head into her palm.

“See? He really likes you, Nee-chan!”

The more affection and attention she gave him, the more enthusiastically Sabu returned her affection. Being able to pet and hold him, even hug him, made Saki’s whole body lighten and relax, the tension in her limbs were melted into nothing thanks to this pooch.

It was really too bad they hadn’t met up here earlier in the day. The setting sun was already replaced with a bright full moon when Saki realized what time it was and how long she’d been at the park for.

“I’m sorry Ran, but it’s getting really late. I should get home…”

Both Ran and his best friend looked saddened by her announcement. Ran made a pouty face and hugged Sabu like a kid clinging to his favorite plushie.

“Already?” he whined.

He looked at her with puppy eyes himself, and Saki found that it took everything in her to tell him..

“Sad to say…But it’s already dark and I don’t want to keep here too long either.”

“Awww, ‘kay.” Ran got up and reattached the leash to Sabu’s collar. “How about I walk you to the station then?”

“Sure! I’d feel a lot safer if you did, Ran. Oh, and you too, Sabu.”

“Woof woof!”

Whether it was because of the guarding instinct inherent to his breed or because he sensed Ran wanted Saki to feel safe, Sabu stuck close to her. He was always by the woman’s side, maintaining an alert posture as they walked.

They reached the station safely and Saki said her goodbyes. As she knelt down to give Sabu a farewell hug and a kiss on the forehead to thank him for guarding her so diligently her, the doberman stood up on his hind legs, giving many slobbery kisses across her cheeks.

“Stop it, Sabu. That tickles, come on…”

Seeing that made Ran just a tiniest bit jealous. It was unfair that Sabu could be so affectionate with Saki, but still, he could never bring himself to resent Sabu for stealing a kiss from Nee-chan. Sabu was his best friend, so if he was happy, Ran was happy, and the boy couldn’t help but smile.

* * *

After Saki disappeared down the steps of the station, promising to meet up again with them another time, Ran knelt down at eye level with his dog.

“Man...you’re really into her, aren’t ya, boy?”

Sabu huffed and held his head high up. He made happy whining noises when Ran pet him all over his back.

“Right? Nee-chan’s pretty, and she’s so nice. You even got to kiss her, you lucky boy.” Ran sighed and put his arms behind his head to stretch. “Man~ I wanted a kiss from Nee-chan too.”

As he said that, the doberman stood up again and pawed at Ran’s torso, indicating he wanted him to lean down. When Ran complied, he started licking Ran all over his face in the same way he did with Saki earlier. Once satisfied with the never of kisses he’d delivered to his human, Sabu made a grumbling noise, followed by a series of short, soft barks and a whine.

“Ehhhh~ that’s what you wanted to do? Aww, you get it, Sabu, you’re such a good boy!”

He ruffled and smooshed the dog's face, so grateful and touched by his efforts to get him more time with Saki and the indirect kiss. Ran made a mental note to treat Sabu to something nice later for being such a wonderful friend, and this time, his wingman, too.

**Author's Note:**

> A fic written for Lava.  
> Animals can be such good companions. It amazes me the bond and understanding they develop with their humans over time. If I learned anything from watching people, it's that pets are the best icebreakers and sometimes wingmen. Sabu is definitely trying to use his cute powers for Ran's love life.


End file.
